Rig Veda 9.37.3: Mandala 9, Sukta 37, Mantra 3
Sukta 9.37
- Devata
- Soma Pavamāna
- Chandas
- Likely Jagatī
- Rasa
- Vira (heroism) and Adbhuta (wonder)
स वाजी रोचना दिवः पवमानो वि धावति । रक्षोहा वारमव्ययम् ॥
sa vājī rocanā divaḥ pavamāno vi dhāvati | rakṣo-hā vāram avyayam ||
ໂສມະຜູ້ມີຄວາມສົມບູນ, ໃນຂະນະທີ່ຊຳລ້າງຕົນເອງ, ແລ່ນອອກໄປຕາມທ້ອງຟ້າທີ່ສະຫວ່າງ, ເປັນຜູ້ສັງຄາມະຈາດ, ພຣະອົງເຂົ້າສູ່ສະຖານທີ່ອັນບໍ່ຕາຍບໍ່ດີ.
Word by Word
- सः
- he (that one)Pronounपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्Role KartāRoot तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) → स-
- वाजी
- the prize-winning/strong, swift oneNoun/Adjectiveपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्Role Kartā (सः इत्यस्य विशेषणम्)Root वाजिन् (प्रातिपदिक; वाज ‘strength/prize, speed’)
- रोचनानि
- the shining realms/lightsNounनपुंसकलिङ्गम्, द्वितीया, बहुवचनम्Role KarmaRoot रोचन (प्रातिपदिक; √रुच् ‘to shine’)
- दिवः
- of heaven/skyNounस्त्रीलिङ्गः, षष्ठी, एकवचनम्Role Sambandha (षष्ठी-सम्बन्धः)Root दिव्/द्यौ (प्रातिपदिक)
- पवमानः
- Pavamāna (Soma), being purifiedParticiple (Adjective) / Noun-epithetपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम् (वर्तमान-कृदन्तः)Role Kartā (सः इत्यस्य विशेषणम्)Root पवमान (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; √पू ‘to purify’ → पवते; ‘being purified/flowing’)
- वि
- apart, forth, widelyIndeclinable (Preverb)अव्ययम्Root वि (उपसर्ग/अव्यय)
- धावति
- rushes/streamsVerbलट् (वर्तमान), परस्मैपदम्, प्रथमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्Role KriyāRoot √धाव् (धावति) ‘to run, rush, stream’
- रक्षोहा
- demon-slayerNoun/Adjective (compound epithet)पुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्Role Kartā (सः इत्यस्य विशेषणम्)Root रक्षस् + हन् (प्रातिपदिक; ‘slayer of demons’)
- वारम्
- a protective covering/enclosureNounनपुंसकलिङ्गम्, द्वितीया, एकवचनम्Role KarmaRoot वार (प्रातिपदिक; ‘covering/protection; enclosure’)
- अव्ययम्
- imperishable, undecayingAdjectiveनपुंसकलिङ्गम्, द्वितीया, एकवचनम् (वारम् इत्यस्य विशेषणम्)Role Karma (विशेषणरूपेण)Root अव्यय (प्रातिपदिक; a- + व्यय ‘loss/decay’)
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेदः: सः वाजी रोचनानि दिवः पवमानः वि धावति । रक्षोहा वारम् अव्ययम् ॥ 1) स वा॒जी → सः वाजी : विसर्ग-लोपः (पदसंहितायाम्) । 2) रो॑च॒ना → रोचनानि : छन्दसि/वैदिके बहुवचन-रूपं (नपुंसक) ‘रोचनानि’ (पदपाठानुसारः) । 3) पव॑मानो॒ → पवमानः : ओ/ः संधिः (पदपाठे विसर्गः) । 4) र॒क्षो॒हा → रक्षः-हा (रक्षस् + हन्) : समासः
- पदपाठे प्रायः ‘रक्षोहा’ इति एकपदम् । 5) अम॒व्यय॑म् → वारम् अव्ययम् : ‘वारम्’ + ‘अव्ययम्’ इति पृथक् पदे
The meaning
Outer meaning
Soma, bearer of plenitude-force, purifying himself, runs through the luminous realms of heaven; slaying the rakṣas, he enters the imperishable enclosure.
Inner meaning
The purified Ananda becomes vājī—carrier of effective force and plenitude. It moves through the rocanā of div—inner luminous planes of mind. As rakṣohā, it destroys obscuring impulses and hostile formations, and enters the avyaya vāra: the imperishable enclosure of Truth-consciousness where the gains cannot decay.
Universal truth
When joy is purified, it becomes power, not indulgence. It travels through higher luminosities, dissolves inner negativity, and establishes the being in a stable, non-perishing truth-state.
Themes
Soma-ritual, Purification, Light-vs-Darkness, Protection/Enclosure of Truth
The seer
- Other hymns
- Rig Veda 9.37
Significance
The verse speaks from the standpoint of an achieved purification—typical of Soma hymns where experience is repeatable and collective rather than biographical.
The deity
- Devata
- Soma Pavamāna
- Epithets
- vājī, pavamāna, rakṣohā
- Related deities
- Indra (empowered by Soma), Sūrya (luminous truth), Agni (sacrifice-fire that prepares the ascent)
Cosmic role
Mediator who carries the offering-essence upward through luminous worlds and guards the rite by repelling hostile powers.
Inner power
Ananda as a warrior-light: joy that becomes force, clears the mind’s luminous spaces, and stabilizes truth.
In ritual
Where it is used
Soma pavamāna chants during pressing/straining; protective function within Soma rite
स वा॒जी रो॑च॒ना दि॒वः पव॑मानो॒ वि धा॑वति । र॒क्षो॒हा वार॑म॒व्यय॑म् ॥
सः । वा॒जी । रो॒च॒ना । दि॒वः । पव॑मानः । वि । धा॒व॒ति॒ । र॒क्षः॒ऽहा । वार॑म् । अ॒व्यय॑म् ॥
saḥ | vājī | rocanā | divaḥ | pavamānaḥ | vi | dhāvati | rakṣaḥ-hā | vāram | avyayam
Likely Jagatī (common in RV 9; verse length suggests 4×12)
48
4 pādas × ~12 syllables
Expansive, forward-driving; suited to ‘vi dhāvati’ (runs out).
Builds energetic ascent; gives a sense of widening space (rocanā) and secure culmination (vāram avyayam).
- vājī
- Literal: possessing vāja; vigorous, prize-winning. Symbolic: plenitude-force; effective energy that brings realizations
- rocanā divaḥ
- Literal: luminous realms of heaven. Symbolic: planes of illumined mind; clarified seeing beyond ordinary mentality
- pavamāna
- Literal: purifying/being purified. Symbolic: self-transformation through inner clarification
- rakṣohā
- Literal: slayer of rakṣas (harmers). Symbolic: destroyer of obscurity-forces: doubt, inertia, hostile suggestions
- vāra
- Literal: enclosure, protective space. Symbolic: the guarded domain of truth; a secure inner formation
- avyaya
- Literal: imperishable, undecaying. Symbolic: stable realization; consciousness that does not fall back into mixture
Soma Pavitra/pressing context: purification through the filter (pavitra) in Soma-yajña (e.g., Agniṣṭoma sequence)
While Soma is flowing and being offered; also as a protective stotra against disturbing influences.
Chanted to consecrate the purified Soma and ward off ‘rakṣas’ (ritual obstacles).
Mantra for clearing mental negativity and establishing stable clarity—use before important work, study, or meditation to enter a ‘protected’ inner space.
vājī < vāja (noun) from √vaj/√vāj ‘to be strong, impel’ → force/plenitude, hence ‘victorious energy’. pavamāna < √pū ‘to purify’ (middle participle) → self-purifying flow. rocanā from √ruc ‘shine’ → luminous planes. rakṣaḥ from √rakṣ ‘to guard/protect’ but in RV ‘rakṣas’ are obstructive/hostile agencies; -hā from √han ‘to strike/kill’. vāra from √vṛ ‘to cover, choose, enclose’ → enclosure/covering/protective ring; avyaya from a- + √i/√vyay ‘to decay/spend’ → undecaying.
Ṛta (ordered movement through luminous planes), Truth-stability (avyaya as imperishable foundation), inner purification (pavamāna)
Soma’s ‘running’ through rocanā is the r̥ta-driven ascent of consciousness.
Avyaya vāra as the satya-domain where realization is preserved.
Victory of light over obscurity as a recurring cosmogonic act.
Aurobindonian integral psychology: ascent to illumined mind and stabilization in truth.
dawn-to-day transition (implied by rocanā, luminosity)
Movement of purified joy through higher mental light, clearing hostile shadows, entering a stable protected truth-state.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The ‘purifying Soma’ as a victorious current moving through the luminous heavens while destroying rakṣas (obscuring powers). Mythically, Soma is an active force that clears hostile darkness and reaches the imperishable vāra—an image of entry into the protected domain of Ṛta/Truth.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- rocanā < √ruc ‘shine’ aligns with PIE *leuk- ‘light’ (cf. Latin lux). divaḥ < div ‘sky, shine’ reflects PIE *dyew- ‘sky/daylight’ (cf. Greek Zeus, Latin Iuppiter via *dyēus). han in -hā reflects PIE *gwhen- ‘strike/kill’ (cf. English ‘ban’ is not cognate; but Slavic *gubiti is different—better: Sanskrit han ~ Avestan jan- ‘strike’).
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The seer’s stance is not petitionary for outer goods but participatory: by affirming Soma as vājī and rakṣo-hā, the ṛṣi aligns the human vessel with the purifying current that both expands consciousness (vi dhāvati through rocanā) and secures entry into the stable ‘imperishable enclosure’ (vāram avyayam), implying reciprocity—invocation enables Soma’s work within the practitioner.
Sense Soma as a bright, forceful joy rising through the inner sky; let it dissolve ‘rakṣas’ (intrusive thoughts, fear, doubt) and form an imperishable inner boundary of truth.
Maṇipūra (vājī force) rising to Ajñā (rocanā) and stabilizing in Sahasrāra/upper mind as ‘avyaya vāra’.
Ujjāyī (soft) or 4-4-6 breathing; on exhale, imagine rakṣas dissolving; on inhale, feel entry into a protected luminous space.
Energized clarity with protected stillness at the end.
Chant 3–9 times, then sit with a visualization of a golden boundary around the mind, allowing only truth-aligned thoughts to enter.
Maintain clear udātta on key nouns (vājī, rocanā, diváḥ, vāram, avyáyam) per śākhā notation when available; keep a rising energy through vi dhāvati.
Slight emphasis on vi dhāvati to convey ‘running out’; allow a settling cadence on vāram avyayam.
rocanā: long ā at end, pavamāno: long ā; nasalize lightly on -mā- with m, rakṣohā: kṣ conjunct; long ā at end, avyayam: distinct vy cluster; short final -am
Bright, assertive, forward-moving; finish with firm steadiness on the last pāda.
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